Modern day Renaissance men are tough to come by; and I don’t mean men that dress up like they are in Assassin’s Creed, I mean men that can sculpt and make an awesome sandwich at the same time. Ben LaFond could be one of the few Renaissance men left in our world, and we should cherish him. He is an artist working for a local design company, Burlesque of North America, while also juggling a thriving career as a photographer. I got a chance to chat with him about his work…. and facial hair.

I want to start this interview off with the question everybody is wondering: What are your grooming tips for a nice beard:

Patience and the occasional conditioner

You work at Burlesque of North America, a local screen printing firm, could you explain process of screen printing:

Screen printing is a very old print making technique where ink is passed through a mesh screen onto paper/t-shirt/sticker/etc. When printing on paper with water based inks, each color is printed individually, one at a time building up layers until the print is complete.

How did you get into the business:

I had been a fan of Burlesque’s (local screenprinting shop) work for a long time. When I was at school for graphic design at MCTC, I randomly decided to go out on a limb and send them an email to see if they needed any help at their studio. Sure enough, they were busy as hell and needed help racking prints, cleaning screens, etc. I worked for free for about a year as an apprentice/intern. It eventually became busy enough there that I started printing full time and dropped out of school to work. Been there for 6 years now and print the majority of the posters there.

Not only are you an established artist, but also a well known local photographer. What is your favorite show you’ve shot:

Doomtree Blowout 6

Last year, you were Doomtree’s touring photographer, what was it like to live out of a van:

We went from Austin, Texas, to Brooklyn, with nine of us in a van. I’d traveled a lot when I was younger so the idea of living out of a backpack without everyday conveniences wasn’t entirely foreign to me. But it was exhausting. Play show, pack up the gear & merchandise, get in van, drive to next city, find a hotel, maybe sleep for a couple hours, load in at the next venue, play show, repeat repeat repeat. It’s grimy. But it’s amazing to get to hit so many cities in so few days and meet tons of people.

Who are some artists you’ve worked with:

As far as art goes, I’ve worked with Arcade Fire, Stones Throw Records, Alex Pardee, Seventh Letter crew, and everyone in between. For photography, I’ve worked a bunch of shows, too many to list, and the pictures have ended up in City Pages, Metro Mag, and Vita.mn

What is the favorite piece you’ve done:

David Choe “Exodus From the Land of Play” (18 color screen print)

Or Aaron Horkey “Whale Bone Grove” (17 color screen print)

And what is your favorite Halloween costume you’ve worn:

Custom made Ewok suit.